Cushion heel



Nov. 2l, 1950 P. MAAss 2,530,395

cusmzoN HEEL Filed May s, 194e NVK A INVENToR.

PauZ/laa/sys.

if@ Jima/ Patented Nov. 21, 195o EDIV STAT E S NT O F FIC E CUSHION' HEEL PaulMaass, Hollis; N. Y.k Application May 8, 1948; Serial No. 25,909

(Cl. 3G-36) 3^.,C1aims. l This` invention is an improvement in? cushion heels for shoes; and more particularly a rubber lieeliy ofsuch construction that the part thereof whicnusually becomes worn down with use can easily be replaced.v

An object of thein-vention is to provide arubbern heel that is.v simple in. design. andv that can 'be quickly and inexpensively produced; the heel beingiintwo parts; onebeing fixed to the shoe and the other havingatheform1offa sect-ion'` that can readily be attached and quickly removed when-worn out to enable a new` one to be substituted.

Anothery object is to` provide a heel having a 'bodyor principal part with a replaceablesection so= fashioned that. said section can be securely vjoined. tothe remainder of theheel in tight intertting engagement; hence; the stresses to -v:-.l1icl1-the heelis subjected in. WalkingY will have no-eifect to` force theremovable section. out of proper position or distort the heel at any point.

The drawings illustrate Ypreferred. embodiments oifmyimprovement; but I dornot Wish to bev restricted to-the=precise1articles whichithedraw-ings present. Changes in details may be made with- 2. middlevof thecavity 3 and has transverse conifvex sides: withv rounded grooves 6, close to the roof.v of? the cavity- 3; andthe sides oiv this pro:- tuberancs joining the ends ofv the grooves are at and straightv as shown at l. The height of the protuberance is less than half the height of butfdeparting-from the Vgeneralpl'an which char- 'ac-terizes my invention.

On the drawings:

Figure.. 1 isa, bottom plan of the body of a rubber heel according tomy invention, showing the removable section attached;

Figure 2 illustrates the body of theheel without the replaceable section;

Figure Slis a, vertical sectiononline 33 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross section-on line 4--4oi-Fig' ure l;

Figure 55 is a top-planet thegremovablelsection detached;-

Figure Bf is a rear view -oi'the heel withouti the replaceable part;

Figure 7 is a section of part of another form oi heel according to my invention; the section lying in a plane running lengthwise of the shoe as in Figure 3; and

Figure 8 is a similar section showing a modied removable section.

On the drawings the rear portion of a shoe is indicated at i. The shoe has a heel 2; and the rear of the body or main member of the heel has a cavity S extending forward and open at the bottom of the heel, The inner end or wall of this cavity presents a concave surface shown at :i and the top or roof of this cavity has a low, flat protuberance 5. This protuberance is in the the'cavity 3; 1

The cavity is lledby` a replaceable or mem.- ber section 8, the sides ofwhich are surfaces which are convex; the `curves-intersecting at the ends. This gives` the section the general conguration of a wide shuttle with pointedlextremir ties. The section' S' andthefrecess 3 conform to each other in shape and the section is no thicker than the depth or height of the cavity, so that when the section is tt-ed into place, thev heel presents the'samesurfaceformation as if it were all inl one piece; The section 8 engages the projection 5 in` tight.` intertting engagement iS held in properpositioniwithout adhesive or fast-- ening means of" any kind.

This result is; assuredv by forming the section withiadepression a' in the upper face of the section. The depression 9 is as deep as the height of theprotuberance1 5, and ofthe same outline and extent'. Crosswse of the heel; or Ain-theV direction. off the greatest length of the section 8 the depression has inward projecting rounded ribs Ii); along its edges, andthe sides H joining the? endsY ofl said` ribsare flat and straight to matchthe sides?? of the protuberance'. When the section (tisV attached, the protuberance'is forcedintothedepression @rand the ribs i@ enter the grooves 6 in the twoV transverse sidesv of the protuberance 5'. and holdx'the sectionV 8 andthe body I of the heel together.

The protuberance" '.i; hasV small recesses I2, opening throughth'e lat face or-end of the projection 5 andY being widened transversely as showninFigure'Z". They taper somewhat, being widest@ attheirk outer open endsA andi narrowest at their closed inner ends. These recesses permit the protuberance to be squeezed together or contracted somewhat to facilitate attaching the section 8. In line with the apertures are tapering passages I3 that pass into the section 8 from the bottom, The inner ends I4 of these passages I3 pass into the section 8 from the bottom. The inner ends M of these passages or ducts are small, and they pass through the bottom of the depression 9, each being in line with one of the recesses i2. These ducts allow air to enter the recesses I2 while the section 3 is being put on, and the prctuberance can then expand so as to prevent the section from getting loose and falling off.

Further the roof of the cavity 3 in the heel has transversely extending grooves I5 and the section 8 has curved ribs I6 running along the curved edges of the cavity 3 and section 8. The ribs taper to an edge on the top and the grooves have such form that the ribs fit snugly and fill them. This makes a further interlocking iit between the body of the heel and the section 8 to maintain the section in proper position and prevent distortion of the section 8. The ribs have inclined outer faces and steep inner sides or faces substantially perpendicular to the top of the sec, tion 8. The inclined faces of the ribs I6 are presented to the open rear of the cavity. Hence when the owner walks the steep faces or sides of the ribs I resist to advantage the force of the forward reaction thrust on the section 8, and

assist the protuberance 5 in preventingdisplacement of the section 8.

In Figures 7 and 8 the protuberance 5' in the cavity 3 has angular grooves 6 in its transverse sides, and the depression 9 in the section 8 has ribs IB" that are angular in cross section; to enter the grooves 6'. Otherwise the cavity 3 and the section 8 are the same as above set forth.

In this embodiment the protuberance 5 may be concave on its face to engage the bottom of the depression 9' with la vacuum cup effect.

- The recesses I2 taper oniy in the direction of the length of the shoe. Seeliigure 2. In a trans- 'bending between the ends of the section, and

the ducts I3 are thus widened slightly and opening, exhausting any air trapped in the recesses I2. As the section 8 is pressed further, the protuberance 5 enters the depression e fully; and the section 8 straightens to close the ducts I3. Any air still inside adds to the cushioning eifect.

The curvature of the section 8 is the same on both sides. The section is therefore adapted to be attached to either shoe; and if after it has been Worn for a time on one shoe it can be transferred to the other. It can also be reversed on either shoe, so as to change the forward innerl edge to outer rear position. This presents a new wearing surface at the back of the heei and gives much longer wear to the heel.

Having described my invention, what believe to be new is:

' 1. A heel for a shoe comprising a main member with a wide cavity extending into it from the rear and opening through the bottom of the heel, a removable member conforming in size and shape to the cavity, to fit the same snugly and 4 being flush with the outer surfaces of said heel, one of said members having abroad protuberance, and the other having a depression conforming in shape to the protuberance, said depression and said protuberance having interiitting means at the edges for joining the section to the heel, With said section and said protuberance in tight engagement within said cavity, the protuberance having recesses open through the outer face to enable it to be contracted for insertion into said depression, said heel having small ducts open to the air in position to communicate with said recesses.

2. A heel for a shoe comprising a body with a wide cavity extending into it from the rear and opening through the bottom of the heel, the roof of the cavity having a broad protuberance, a removable section conforming in size and shape to the cavity, to t the same snugly and being flush with the outer surfaces of said heel, the section having a depression conforming in shape to the protuberance, said depression and said protuberance having interiitting means at the edges for joining the section to the heel, with said section and said protuberance in tight engagement, the protuberance having recesses open through the outer face to enable it to be contracted for insertion into said depression, said section having air ducts open at the bottom and in said depression, in position to communicate with said recesses.

3. A heel for a shoe comprising a body with a. wide cavity extending into it from the rear and opening through the bottom of the heel, the roof of the cavity having a broad protuberance, a removable section conforming in size and shape to the cavity, to lit the same snugly and being flush with the outer surfaces of said heel, the section having a depression conforming in shape to the protuberance, said cavity having grooves adjacent said protuberance, and said section having ribs to fit into said grooves, some of said grooves being in the transverse sides of said protuberance, the remaining sides being flat, said protuberance having recesses open through its outer face and said section having ducts at the bottom of said depression connecting its outer face with said depression inline with said recesses.

PAUL MAASS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Shepherd Nov. 3, 1942 

